Loading attachment for automobiles.



W A. ATWOOD.

LOADING ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20. 1916- I 1,237,48= Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

w. A. ATWOOD. LOADING ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 20.1916- 7 1,23%44, Patented Aug. 21, 1917.-

3 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

avmmmtoz w. A. ATWOOD. LT ADING ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20.1916.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

mwmtoz yaw/0 @flM/Wgd WALDO A. ATWOOD, 0F VJ ZLLISCA, IOWA.

LOADING ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in loading and unloading devicesand has for its object to provide simply constructed means of this classwhich is readily appli cable to automobiles and other vehicles foreasily loading and unloading heavy boxes, crates and the like.

With the foregoing general object in view, the invention resides incertain novel features of construction and in unique combinations ofparts to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptivematter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings which constitutea part of this application and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved loader applied to anautomobile, showing said loader tilted rearwardly;

Fig. 2 is a similar view looking from the rear of the machine; and,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the loading platform in its-normalposition.

In specifically describing the structure shown in the drawings abovebriefly described, similar characters will be employed to designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views and reference will beherein made to the numerous elements by their respective ind-ices. Tothis end, the numeral 1 designates the frame of an automobile, 2 therear wheels thereof, 3 the running boards, and 4 the rear fenders.

Disposed over the rear end of the frame 1 is a transverse horizontalhinge shaft 5 having a pair of depending attaching plates welded orotherwise secured thereto, said platescontacting with the outer faces ofthe side bars of the frame and being secured to said bars by bolts orthe like 7. The sills 8 of a loading platform 9 are provided on theirlower edges with bearings 10 which include fingers 11 straddling theends shaft 5, removable ,pins 12 being assed through said fingers belowthe shaft or the purpose of forming a detachable connectlon.

' for rotating of the Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 21,1917, Application filed July 20, 1916. Serial No. 110,350. i i

A winding shaft 13 is rotatably mounted on the front ends of the sills 8and carries a drum 14 upon which a cable 15 is adapted to be wound totilt the platform forwardly to a horizontal position and to permit saidplatform tojsilt rearwardly until it stands substantially upright. Oneendof the'eable 15 i secured at their lower ends to a suitable part ofthe vehicle and are provided at their up per ends with hooks 20 whichtake over the ends of the bar 18, which ends project beyond the frame 1.Vertical brace rods 21 are also provided, said rods being secured attheir upper ends to the bar 18 and at their lower ends to the runningboards3. .1 Additional brace rods 22 converge rearwardly from the endsof the bar 18 and are secured at their rear ends to the brackets of the,

fenders 4. By these features of construction, I

the bar 18 is rigidly secured in position yet done, by simply removingthe pins '12, the

entire platform may be removed from vehicle frame. p

Any preferred means may be provided crank 23 is preferably employed.Also any suitable mechanism may be used to prevent retrograde movementof the shaft in question. said shaft is shown as provided with a ratchetwheel 21 which cooperates with a For illustrative purposes, however,

the

so the shaft 13 but a detachable dog .pivotally mounted on the bar 16.

The dog 25 is normally moved to operative positionby/ineans of asuitablespring 26 but may be released at will by a rock shaft 27 mounted on thebar16, said shaft having a central crank 28which bears against the pinner side of the dog and being equipped with an operating crank 29 atone end.

For holding the platform in lowered posi tion, locking bolts 30 aresecured to the front ends of the sills 8, these bolts being adapted forreception in openings in the ends of the bar 18 as shown in Fig. 1. Keys31 are passed through the bolts 30 beneath the bar 1 8 and said-keys areheld against acci- 85 it may be detached easily and when this IS I andeiiicient regardlessof its simplicity, it'- being obvious that thevertical flanges of the bars 34 serve to form sides for the plat form toretain boxes and the like thereon. The rear edge of the platform 9 isprovided with a loading plate 35 adapted to be forced under the loadwhile it rests on the ground,

and for the purpose of permitting the platform to tilt rearwardly to thenecessary extent for allowing said plate to operate in this manner, theplatform is preferably provided with a pair of openings 36 which takeover the rear wheels as shown in, Fig. 1.

In operation, with the platform. standing in its normal horizontalposition, the pins 32 and keys 31. may be removed, and by actuating thecrank 29 the dog 25 will be released. This will permit the shaft 13 torotate freely to pay out the cable 15, thus permitting the platform 9 toassume a substantially upright position with the loading plate 35resting on the ground or street. The box or the like to be loaded is nowtilted rearwardly to permit the loading plate to be inserted beneath itand is then rocked forwardly until it rests on the platform 9. The drum14 is now rotated by means of the shaft 13 and crank 23 to wind thecable 15, thus returning the platform to its normal position, in whichposition it is locked by means of the keys 31 and-pins 32. The unloadinoperation is of course the reversal of the oading and may be performedwith equal ease,

The improved loading attachment is adapted primarily for application toauto mobiles and is well fitted for loading and neonate unloadingpianos, but it is to be understood that it may well be employed inconnection with other types of vehicles and can be used for any purposeto which it is applicable.

In the foregoing l have described certain specific details foraccomplishing probably the best results and in the accompanying frontends of the sills in advance of said bar,

, a drum and a ratchet wheel secured to said shaft, a dog pivotallymounted on said bar for cooperation with said ratchet wheel in holdipgsaid shaft against retrograde movemcnt,.'a rock shaft mounted on saidbar for releasing said dog, a second transverse bar in advance of thesill hinges and means for securing it in place on the vehicle frame,said second named bar carrying a sheave and receiving the front ends ofsaid sills on its ends, a cable passing around said sheave and securedat one end to said first named bar and at its other end to saiddrum, and

means for locking the front ends of said sills to said second bar.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

W ALDO A. ATWOOD.

Witnesses:

F. L NGMAN, S. H Cowman

